04/04/2014 Following the submission by ENTSO-E of the draft Network Code on Electricity Balancing at the end of December, the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) published on 21 March its ‘reasoned opinion’ on the document. ACER notes that the network code will bring significant added value in supporting the creation of a European balancing market and recognises ENTSO-E’s effort to align this network code with the related framework guidelines. However ACER also considers that the network code does not go far enough in harmonising and standardising the core elements needed to achieve a well-functioning, competitive and integrated balancing market.
ACER calls for clear and legally binding requirements on TSOs to implement the integration models for electricity balancing within the timeframes specified in the framework guidelines. ACER expects improvements in the following areas: (1) Incentives on balance responsible parties (BRPs) to be balanced or help the electricity system to be balanced (2) A consistent framework to foster competition between balance service providers and (3) Efficiency of balancing actions performed by TSOs.